View previous stories
	Fulfilling the right to social security for all by 43 human rights and economic justice organizations   Oct. 2023   Governments and international financial institutions should make a commitment to create social security systems that enable everyone to realize their rights, 43 human rights and economic justice organizations said today. Governments and financial institutions should end policies that have been failing millions of people.   The groups sent a joint statement to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in advance of the 2023 annual meetings of both institutions in Marrakesh, Morocco, from October 9 to 15, 2023.   “Amid mounting poverty and soaring inequality, where millions grapple daily to realize their economic, social and cultural rights, we cannot afford to maintain social security approaches that have been shown to fail rights,” said Tirana Hassan, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch. “Governments and international financial institutions have an opportunity to course-correct and adopt a rights-aligned approach to social security that sets the tone and leads the way toward more just societies and economies.”   Social security is one of the cornerstones of human rights, sustainable economies, and just societies. It is enshrined in numerous legally binding international treaties and is provided through a set of public policies and programs often known as social protection.   These programs ensure income security throughout an individual's life, offering support during life events such as childbirth, old age, illness, disability, unemployment, and circumstances such as climate disasters that elevate the risk of income insecurity, such as the earthquake that recently shook Morocco.   “The right to social protection for all is enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and yet, 75 years later, global social protection falls shamefully short, with more than half of the global population lacking basic coverage, violating human rights,” said Luc Triangle, Acting General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation. Triangle said:   "The international financial institutions bear immense responsibility for achieving universal social protection, but it's imperative to shift away from an outdated economic model that often endorses austerity measures. The workers’ call is clear: scaling up social protection financing, an investment for societies which dramatically reduces inequalities while boosting employment, skills, productivity, demand for goods and services, and overall GDP growth".   Many governments rely on social security programs that are means-tested, in which eligibility hinges on income, assets, or narrow poverty indicators. Research shows that these programs are often ineffective because of high error rates, corruption, and social mistrust. Focusing only on people in poverty or extreme poverty also excludes large segments of the population, including those who are not officially considered poor but are far from experiencing economic stability.   “This campaign shows that there are more and more civil society organizations who sees through the statement that ‘poverty-targeting is pro-poor’. In fact, universality is pro-poor, in line with human rights and a key strategy to promote social justice,” said Henrik Frojmark, Policy Director of Act Church of Sweden.   Stephen Kidd, CEO of Development Pathways, said:   "The push by international financial institutions to promote poverty-targeted social assistance schemes–following the poor relief model used by Europe in the 19th century– across lower-income countries has meant that the vast majority of those living on low incomes have been excluded from social security, while national social contracts have been undermined as a result of citizens losing trust in their governments. It’s time that the international financial institutions got behind a modern system of universal life cycle social security system that ensures that everyone can receive protection from childhood to old age and, importantly, helps rebuild trust in government, democracy and strong social contracts".   For decades, the World Bank and the IMF have promoted this flawed approach, the groups said. They have failed to consider social security as a right and that it contributes to building fairer and more stable societies, and not just charity. This has contributed to a global reality in which 53 percent of people lack any form of social security, and whereas instability, social defiance, and polarization are growing and the needs for resilience are greater than ever in the face of the climate crisis.   “On the African continent we have witnessed the dire impact of failing to prioritize social protection resulting in inequality, rising poverty, children dropping out of school and unnecessary deaths,” said Angella Nabwowe, Executive Director of the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights. Nabwowe said:   "Governments must seize this moment to rethink current approaches to social protection that have excluded large segments of the population through targeting and must holistically invest in social protection. The World Bank/IMF and other funders must desist from promoting austerity and poverty targeting, all of which reduce the ability of our governments to adequately finance social protection and prioritize public services, including social protection".   Recent reforms in some countries have also eroded the right to social security, leading to reduced coverage and benefits. In some countries, these changes, supported by the World Bank or IMF, involved cuts to employer contributions or reduced benefits for the majority in the public system. Additionally, privatization of social insurance in some places has worsened poverty and inequality, disproportionately affecting women and older people.   Dr. Maria Ron Balsera, Director of Program at the Center for Economic and Social Rights, said:   "The current polycrisis should trigger a shift to a rights-based economy which includes promoting the right to social security for all, supported by the framework of values and obligations of human rights. A rights-based economy demands action to redistribute resources, remedy inequalities, and rebalance power in our economies".   The groups strongly urge the IMF and the World Bank, pivotal actors in financing and shaping social security policies in low- and middle-income countries, to take four measures that could improve the lives of hundreds of millions of people:   Commit to Realizing the Right to Social Security:   Support countries’ efforts to realize the right to social security by establishing or strengthening rights-aligned universal social protection systems, beginning with social protection floors.   End Poverty-Targeted Programs:   In countries without universal coverage, stop developing new poverty-targeted programs, and phase out existing ones, replacing them with universal alternatives.   Support Equitable and Sustainable Public Systems:   The IMF and the World Bank should support equitable and sustainable public social security systems adhering to international standards. This includes adequate employer contributions and income security.   Cease Austerity Measures:   The IMF should halt austerity policies that threaten rights and refrain from promoting social spending trade-offs. Investments in health, education, and social security should, at a minimum, meet international benchmarks as a percentage of GDP and national budgets.   “It is high time that governments, the World Bank, and the IMF acted to make universal social protection a reality,” said Marta Schaaf, the climate, economic and social justice, and corporate accountability director at Amnesty International.   "The extraordinary combination of political, economic and climate crises is battering the lives and livelihoods of billions of people who have little or no access to social protection measures. Investing in universal social protection can provide security and dignity, and fulfill the right to social security for all. Protecting people against personal losses or losses due to shocks, from disasters or economic reversals, can be transformational, enabling children to stay in education, improving health care, reducing poverty and income inequality", Schaaf said.   “We demand a full restructuring and change in social protection policies,” said Shereen Talat, MenaFem Movement for Economic, Development and Ecological Justice director.   “We reject incremental reforms and call for a transformation of the global system. Genuine social protection means empowering the marginalized, eradicating poverty, and ensuring ecological justice. Anything less than this will be undermining the global crisis and perpetuation of injustice."   http://www.socialprotectionfloorscoalition.org/social-security-for-all/ http://www.hrw.org/news/2023/10/03/global-demand-universal-social-security http://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/worlds-poorest-countries-slash-public-spending-more-220-billion-face-crushing-debt http://www.sdg16.plus/resources/joint-statement-on-sdg-10/ Visit the related web page
	Ending child poverty is vital for a sustainable future by O. De Schutter, H. Frazer, A.C. Guio, E. Marlier Bristol University Press: Transforming Society   Ending child poverty is vital for a sustainable future, write Olivier De Schutter, Hugh Frazer, Anne-Catherine Guio and Eric Marlier.   The vicious cycles perpetuating poverty and disadvantage across generations have enormous economic, social and environmental costs. Ending them is essential for a sustainable future. Above all this requires urgent and radical action to tackle the deep-seated inequalities causing child poverty.   The future wellbeing and indeed survival of increasing numbers of children across the world is more and more at risk. Already too many children are growing up in poverty and the perpetuation of poverty from one generation to the next is deeply entrenched.   Poverty disproportionately affects households with children: children are twice as likely to live in extreme poverty as adults. Globally, approximately 800 million children aged 0–18 years are subsisting below a poverty line of US $3.20 a day, and one billion children are experiencing multidimensional poverty, with multiple deprivations in the areas of health, nutrition, education or standards of living, including housing.   Child poverty and the Intergenerational Perpetuation of Poverty (IGPP) are now being compounded by the impact of climate change.   Around one third of the world’s child population is living with the dual impacts of poverty and high climate risk. With the devastating effects of extreme weather destroying livelihoods and communities and leading to mass migration, more and more children are at risk.   The current spate of heatwaves, megafires, deadly floods and landslides in many countries across the world is bringing the reality of the climate crisis to the doors of more and more children.   It is no longer just a remote disaster that has been destroying lives and communities in many parts of the developing world and trapped them in poverty and a struggle for survival. It is now an existential threat to the future wellbeing of children in all countries, developed and developing.   The challenges posed by the climate crisis, the persistence of child poverty and the Intergenerational Perpetuation of Poverty, are inextricably bound together and to tackle one we must tackle the others.   They share a common origin: an economic system based on excessive consumption by some when others lack access to essential goods and services and cannot meet their basic needs, and the deeply unsustainable use of natural resources. Positive social change that will transform our societies and build an inclusive economy is vital to addressing these three challenges.   One of the keys to such a transformation and to building a sustainable future will be to tackle inequality and ensure real equality of opportunity for all. Above all, this will require intensifying action to end child poverty as this is essential to creating equality of opportunity for all and ending the Intergenerational Perpetuation of Poverty.   If we are to end child poverty and the Intergenerational Perpetuation of Poverty we must start by asking ourselves why in a world of plenty there is a collective failure to eradicate poverty. We believe this is because we only rarely move beyond the symptoms to address the root causes, particularly in early childhood, of the Intergenerational Perpetuation of Poverty; because of the efforts of governments being obstructed, in particular as a result of mistaken beliefs concerning ‘merit’ and ‘incentives’; because of the self-interest of and exploitation by some who control excessive wealth and resources; and because of a failure to properly assess the costs to society of poverty and inequalities.   For instance, the current failure to eradicate poverty imposes a huge cost on society. In a country such as the United States, child poverty costs over US$1 trillion annually, representing 5.4 per cent of its gross domestic product, taking into account the loss of economic productivity, greater health and crime expenses, and increased costs as a result of child homelessness and maltreatment.   Investing in children, conversely, has considerable returns: for every dollar spent on reducing childhood poverty, seven dollars would be spared.   To break the vicious cycles that lead to IGPP and persistent child poverty, we should move beyond a reliance on the classic approach to poverty reduction based on economic growth combined with progressive taxation and social protection.   We need to both strengthen our post-market redistribution mechanisms and put more emphasis on the pre-market mechanisms that cause social exclusion. This means building an inclusive economy: one that prevents exclusion rather than causing exclusion and compensating it post hoc.   In strengthening our post-market redistribution mechanisms, three priorities will be vital.   First, mobilising increased resources to combat poverty by widening the tax base and implementing progressive tax policies. Second, strengthening social protection and protecting basic income security. Third, ensuring effective access for children to food, housing, sport, culture and leisure activities, childcare, education, healthcare and other key services.   What we need is a move from an extractive and exclusive economy to a regenerative and inclusive one. In particular, we believe that this will involve three things: i) advancing a jobs-rich model of development which makes the right to work a reality; ii) introducing a basic income for young adults; and iii) prohibiting discrimination on grounds of socioeconomic disadvantage.   Of course, the scale of economic, social and environmental changes required, essential though they are for all our futures, will not be easily achieved.   We must place the goal of ending child poverty and Intergenerational Perpetuation of Poverty at the heart of our economic and political systems and thus embed it in all our economic, social and environmental policies as well as in the systems for delivering them.   There is no excuse for the perpetuation of the vicious cycles that diminish life chances of children in poverty: we know the range of policies and actions that are needed to break them. Thus, given the damage that poverty does to people’s lives, to social cohesion, to the economy and to environmental sustainability, we can imagine no objective more urgent or worthwhile pursuing.   * Olivier De Schutter is the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights and Professor at UCLouvain, Belgium and SciencesPo, France. Hugh Frazer is Adjunct Professor at Maynooth University, Ireland, a former Director of the Irish Government’s Combat Poverty Agency and an expert on European Union (EU) social policy and child poverty.   Anne-Catherine Guio is Senior Researcher at the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) and ensured the scientific coordination of the first two EU’s Feasibility Studies for a ‘European Child Guarantee’. Eric Marlier is International Scientific Coordinator at LISER and manages the 38-country ‘European Social Policy Analysis Network’ funded by the EU.   http://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2023/10/16/ending-child-poverty-is-vital-for-a-sustainable-future/ Visit the related web page
	View more stories